Monday - Friday 9AM – 6PM EST
A moving company takes everything you own and drives away with it, which makes the paperwork matter more than it looks. Answer a few questions and the terms are agreed before loading day.
Choose the state or form type you need to start.
Answer a few simple questions to customize your form.
Download or print your custom document in PDF or Word.
A moving contract sets terms between a household or business and the company relocating them. It records the price basis, the dates, the goods they carry, and what happens when something breaks.
One feature makes this unlike other service agreements. The mover takes physical possession of everything you own, which changes the balance of the relationship for a few days.
Two terms carry most of the weight. How the estimate works decides the final bill. The valuation option decides what you recover if a box never arrives.
Regulation depends on where you are going. Federal rules govern interstate household moves in the United States. Moves within one state fall under that state’s rules instead.
Read the paperwork before loading day rather than on the driveway. Nobody negotiates well with a half-full truck on the street.
Scale changes the length rather than the substance. A studio move and a five-bedroom relocation both need a moving contract. Each states the estimate type, the valuation choice, and the dates.
Moving quotes come in distinct types, and the differences matter enormously.
A binding estimate fixes the price for the goods and services listed. Add items later and the figure changes, so the inventory behind it needs to be accurate.
A non-binding estimate is a prediction rather than a promise. The final bill follows the actual weight or hours, and it can land above the quote.
This caps your cost while letting you pay less if the shipment comes in lighter. Where a mover offers it, it is usually the friendliest option.
Long-distance moves usually price by weight, and local moves by the hour. Ask which applies and how the mover measures it.
Insist on a proper survey, in person or by video, before accepting any figure. A price quoted over the phone without seeing your belongings means very little.
Ask what falls outside the headline number: packing materials, appliance servicing, long carries, and stair charges all appear later.
Confirm what is payable upfront and how. Treat any demand for a large cash deposit as a reason to pause.
The inventory is the document you will rely on if anything goes missing.
Crews record every item and its condition as they load. Read it before signing, since disagreeing afterwards is much harder.
Photograph valuable and fragile items before the move, with timestamps. Note any existing damage on the inventory rather than letting it pass.
Decide whether the mover packs, you pack, or you split it. Professional packing costs more and usually strengthens any later claim.
Movers often limit responsibility for cartons packed by the owner, unless the box itself shows visible damage. Factor that in when deciding what to pack.
Movers refuse hazardous goods, and for good reason. Propane tanks, fuel, paint, aerosols, cleaning chemicals, ammunition, and fireworks all sit on that list. A fire inside a loaded trailer destroys everything in it. Empty fuel from equipment beforehand. Dispose of anything unwanted through your local facility rather than hiding it in a box.
Carry passports, deeds, medication, jewellery, and anything sentimental yourself. No amount of coverage replaces the things you cannot buy again.
Most people assume full insurance covers their belongings. Usually it does not, at least not in the way they imagine.
The basic option comes at no extra charge and pays only a set amount per pound for each item. It treats a heavy cheap item and a light expensive one identically, which rarely favours you.
The upgraded option obliges the mover to repair, replace, or pay the value of a lost or damaged item. It costs more, and the terms differ between carriers.
Where you choose full value, you declare what the shipment is worth. Under-declaring to save money leaves you short exactly when it matters.
Ask about deductibles, per-item caps, and whether high-value pieces need listing separately. Antiques and art usually do.
Read what falls outside: owner-packed cartons, items left in furniture drawers, and certain fragile goods often sit outside cover.
Check whether your home contents insurance covers goods in transit, and whether a separate transit policy makes sense. Ask your insurer rather than assuming.
Long-distance moves run on windows rather than appointments, which surprises people.
Confirm the loading date and how much notice either side gives to change it.
Long hauls usually carry a range of possible delivery days rather than one date. Get that spread in writing and plan around the late end of it.
Describe stairs, lifts, parking, and distance from the door to the truck. Surprises here become charges.
Where a large truck cannot reach the property, a smaller vehicle ferries the load. Ask when that applies and what it costs.
If dates do not line up, confirm where the mover stores goods and for how long. Then ask who insures them while they sit.
On weight-based moves you can usually ask for a reweigh. Ask how to request one before you need it.
A little verification beforehand prevents the situation nobody wants.
Check the company holds the registration your type of move requires. Confirm the name on the paperwork matches the business you researched.
Treat these as reasons to pause: quotes without a survey, large cash deposits, no written estimate, or unmarked vehicles. Reluctance to give a physical address belongs on that list too.
A small number of operators load a shipment and then demand well above the quote before unloading. Written estimates, a verified company, and a modest deposit are what keep you out of that position.
You should receive written paperwork including the estimate, the bill of lading, and the inventory. Ask for anything nobody handed you.
Confirm the accepted payment methods before delivery day. Then check the shipment against the inventory as it comes off the truck.
Note damage on the paperwork at delivery, photograph it, and file promptly. Claim deadlines apply and they are shorter than people expect.
Moving is the rare purchase where the seller holds everything you own for a week. A moving contract template gets the terms clear while the house is still full.
One place to build, sign, and manage documents.
